Obamacare's Already Weak Credibility Is Crumbling
Delay the deadline Friday, October 25, 2013 PrintEmail Comments (25) By: Boston Herald editorial staff - See more at: bostonherald.com
Had President Obama waved his magic wand and given individual Americans the same temporary relief from the health care coverage mandate that he granted to big corporations and unions there would have been time to test whether the Web-based sign-up system actually works.
It doesn’t, of course, and it is clear — even to a growing number of Democrats — that the individual coverage deadline must be delayed. If that doesn’t happen, well, someone really ought to report the president to his own Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Our neighbor to the north, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), said in a letter to the White House on Wednesday that the open enrollment period ought to be extended to account for the rollout debacle (our term, not hers).
“Allowing extra time for consumers is critically important, so they have the opportunity to become familiar with the website, survey their options and enroll,” Shaheen wrote.
New Hampshire is one of 36 states (not Massachusetts) relying on the problematic federal exchange to manage enrollment.
“The difficulty that people in New Hampshire and in other states that are relying on the federally facilitated marketplaces are experiencing is incredibly frustrating and disappointing,” Shaheen wrote.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is preparing a bill that would delay the individual coverage requirement by one year, while a number of other Democrats are seeking delays, too. This isn’t just the Tea Party talking, folks — though U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s proposal to delay the mandate until six months after the website is certified functional by the Government Accountability Office seems the most reasonable.
What the White House has offered in response is weak tea. On Wednesday the administration merely clarified that individuals who sign up by March 31 — even if coverage doesn’t kick in until later — will not face a tax penalty. That stubborn refusal to see the handwriting on the wall does nothing for the new law’s already weak credibility.
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